Book 1 of The Candy Chaos Series:Sweets, Treats And Candy Coated Chaos
by XxMoonlitShadowxX
Summary: It's been three year since the end of the war and 23 year old Hermione Granger is having a hard time finding a place in the world. With her friends on different life paths, she finds an unlikely companion in grieving George Weasley. Deciding to start over they buy and fix up a new candy shop named Candy Hearts. But something is missing. With sour turning sweet, love is a rare treat
1. Chapter 1

Sweets, Treats And Candy Coated Chaos Chapter 1

POP!

The bag of cotton candy popped and rainbow fluffs of the sweet treat floated down all over the floor.

Hermione groaned as she dropped her wand on the candy cart and started for the broom and dust pan in the back of the shop.

That's right. Shop.

It had been three years since the end of the war and she had graduated Hogwarts with flying colors.

Life was busy after Hogwarts when she was offered jobs as a Ministry worker and an Auror.

She could've pretty much taken any job that she wanted but nothing felt right after all that had happened.

Harry and Ron had left school after the war and joined the Auror's program where in a few short months they were out and rounding up the few death eaters that still remained.

It seemed that everyone had moved on since the war.

All except George.

George had been broken in two when his twin had died in the battle and had become so depressed that they worried that he would take his life.

The Weasleys were on the mend from the loss of their son and brother and tried their best to help him but to no avail.

All until one day when Hermione and George found themselves in the backyard of the Burrow on a warm summer's eve.

The conversation that they had was long and emotional as they discovered that they both couldn't find a place in the world after the destruction and death of the war.

George had told Hermione that he was going to sell the joke shop that he and Fred had built together which broke Hermione's heart into shattered pieces.

That was when the brightest witch of their age had a brilliant idea.

She said that she would work at the shop with George until he got back on his feet which brightened the grieving man's heart for the first time since the loss of his twin.

Three years had gone by since then, and not only did George get back on his feet and kept the shop up and running; to show his gratitude to the girl who saved him, he bought her the shop next door to his own.

The shop when Hermione and George bought it was old and rundown and pretty much destroyed since the war.

But with a little love and playful magic, it had been turned into the shop of Hermione's dreams.

Now 23, she was the proud owner of the only candy shop left in Diagon Alley.

She and George had named it Candy Hearts in homage to the emotions that they had both overcome in their hearts after the war.

But back to the story.

Hermione returned to the rainbow colored scheme of the crime and started to sweep the ruined fluffs into the dust pan as her mind whizzed and zoomed with thoughts of the new stock shipments that she had to put away.

Ding!

But it seems that the universe had other plans for her today.

Straightening back up and putting the broom aside, she turned to welcome her customer.

Only to find the one person she thought she'd never see again.

There standing before her was Draco Malfoy himself in all his blonde glory.

His hair was longer and was now hanging partly over his eyes and his features were sharp and lean.

She couldn't help but notice that he had become quite handsome after he dropped the death eater act.

Realizing that he was staring at her made her blink once, twice in surprise before he stepped forward and gave her a lazy smile.

"Granger. So it is true. You own the new candy shop now. Didn't find a suitable job at the Ministry with Potter and Weasel? I heard the twin Weasel is working with you too. Is it him that's caught your fancy nowadays?"

He said as his piercing grey eyes studied her with the same cocky look that she remembered.

Hermione finally caught her wits about her and bristled at his mocking tone.

Crossing her arms over her chest she scoffed at him making his eyes widen slightly before going back to a schooled expression.

"What do you want Malfoy? I didn't think you were the sweet type. Did you come here just to torment me like you always did?"

Draco seemed to be caught off guard by her questions and looked to the floor for a moment before tilting his head to the side like a lost puppy.

"What makes you think I can't be the sweet type Granger? You really think you know me but you don't. Not at all. I just came to see if the rumors were true. But since I'm not welcoming I'll be going now."

Hermione blinked at him as she watched him turn to leave.

In an act of fate, she grabbed his arm and gave him a hesitant look as he once again turned towards her.

"You really didn't come to make fun of me? Why does that seem all kinds of suspicious? What are you up to Draco?"

Draco simply stared at her for a moment before shaking his head and pulling his arm out of her grasp as he headed for the door.

"Nothing Granger. Nothing."

As she watched him leave and the door swing closed behind him, Hermione stood in complete shock wonder what on Merlin's green earth had just happened.

Looking around at her shop and then at the mess that still littered the floor, she decided that maybe it was just a one-time thing and Draco wouldn't come knocking at her door anymore.

After all, it was Draco Malfoy. And Malfoy's were never meant to be sweet.


	2. Chapter 2

Sweets, Treats And Candy Coated Chaos Chapter 2

"Watch it Mione!"

George laughed as the latest litter of pygmy puffs passed her hand on the table where she was currently going over order forms.

"Honestly George, you have to keep them back in their play yard. It's fairly dangerous around here with us loading and unloading shipments. I wouldn't want to see any of them get hurt."

She chided as he made a face at her.

"Oh come off it, Mione! They're only on the table. They haven't gotten into the cotton candy for weeks now."

The fluffiest three pigmy puffs hoped onto Hermione's hands giving little squeaks and squeals of happiness.

Giving a fake sigh, she scooped the little puffs up into her palms and brought them to her face where she nuzzled them all with her nose.

"Yours have gotten to a good size, eh? I expect they'll be ready to go home with you in a few days."

George said as he reached a finger out and tickled the nearest puff making it jump slightly.

Hermione looked down at the pink, baby blue and mint green pigmy puffs that she held in her palms.

Recently George had found a way to charm them to make them be different colors.

Thinking that she needed some extra company in her apartment, she had decided to take these three as her own.

"What are their names again?"

George asked as the puffs continued to nuzzle their new favorite witch.

"The pink ones name is Mr. Sparkles, the blue ones name is Sailor and the green one is named Clover. I thought their names should be something rather unique you know, seeing as how unique they are."

She cooed as the puffs made their way up onto her shoulder and nestled into her hair.

"Mmhm all good choices. Oh bloody hell the others just found the box of cotton candy again!"

He said quickly as he jumped up and grabbed the box of cotton candy that the pigmy puffs were in cuddling with the fluffy rainbow candy.

Carrying the box over to the table, he placed it down next to them as Hermione's puffs immediately jumped in and started making a nest.

"I've always wondered if they do that because they think the cotton candy is another puff."

Hermione said as she watched the puffs jump and play amongst the swirls of cotton.

"Well it sure seems to be quite comforting to them. Perhaps we'll just put this particular box in their play yard and see if it encourages them to settle down."

George mused as Hermione smiled and nodded.

"That sounds like a perfect idea. I'll finish up these orders before we close up for the day while you take care of the puffs."

She said as George gave a nod and turned to walk away but stopped and turned back to her with a curious look.

"Hey I heard the bell to the store ring today while I was in the back room. Did you manage to see who it was?"

Hermione froze for half a second before she shook her head and dropped her eyes down to the forms in front of her.

Taking a few steps towards her, George gave her a sad but knowing look.

"Are you sure? Because Ginny was over at the joke shop and she said she could've sworn she had seen Draco Malfoy come in here."

She gulped slightly and was unable to meet the emerald green eyes of the man that she had become so close with that she now referred to him as her brother.

"Yes…Malfoy did come in here earlier. I didn't think I should tell you. But now that you mention it he was acting rather strange…"

Out of the corner of her eye she watched as George stood stock still clutching the box of pigmy's like a life line.

Finally he gave a sigh and turned to walk out of the door.

But not before he called to her over his shoulder in a strange, calm voice.

"I don't think candy was what he was looking for."

With that he walked out of the shop leaving a stunned Hermione at the table where her heart pounded in her chest as she took in his eerie words.

If candy wasn't what Malfoy wanted, then what did he want?

It surely couldn't have been her.

In all the time that she had known the blonde wizard she had never witnessed him be kind or thoughtful to anyone, much less her.

But still…George's words echoed in her mind as she gazed out the shop's front window, watching as the world passed her by.

What if?

No.

It was impossible.

But as she knew all too well, nothing is ever really impossible.

Shaking her head, she ridded herself of the weird thoughts that had taken flight in her mind and gathered her hair up into a pony tail before taking the order slips and heading into the back room.

Grabbing her blue messenger bag and her coat off of the coat rack, she slipped the order forms into her bag before slipping into her coat and bundling up as she prepared to face the wintery weather outside.

Deciding that she could deal with the orders at home, she left a note for George saying that she was leaving for the night and headed to the front door of the shop where she exited and locked it behind her.

She pushed a loose piece of her long brown hair out of her eyes and behind her ear as she watched the comings and goings of Diagon Alley.

Trudging through the snow, she started off down the streets and over to the designated apparation point.

Thinking of her cozy apartment in the middle of Wizarding London, she felt the familiar pull at her bellybutton as everything went dark.

Landing on her feet at the entrance to her apartment building, she waved to the door man as she made her way up to the third floor where her small 1 bedroom apartment was located.

Unlocking the door, she stepped into the warm living room just as the sun was setting over the city.

The floor to ceiling windows that surrounded the room showcased the beautiful array of colors that shot up across the sky.

Throwing her bag and coat to the side, she slipped off her shoes and headed into the kitchen where she proceeded to fill her favorite tea kettle and set it on the stove to warm.

Thoroughly exhausted from a long day at work, she collapsed down onto the fluffy white couch that sat in front of the windows looking out over everything that the eye could see.

It had been a good day at the shop minus the Malfoy distraction and there had been a great number of other customers.

As she waited for her tea to be ready, she felt her eyes grow heavy with sleep but before she could fall asleep completely, the tea kettle whistled loudly making her jump and run over to the kitchen to take it off the stove.

Pouring herself a nice cup of tea, she turned off the stove and headed into her bedroom where she decided that she was too tired for a nightly shower and slipped into a t shirt and clean panties.

Slipping in between the sheets, she placed her tea on the nightstand and picked up a new book that she had bought the day before and started reading as her mind drifted away from the day's events and settled until tomorrow.

Draco sat at his desk in the office that used to be his father's as he penned a letter to put his feelings into words.

Ever since he had left Hogwarts, he couldn't get the nosy bookworm out of his head.

It had been years since he had seen her.

Until this morning.

His heart had jumped for joy at the sight of the caramel haired witch and it made him long for her even more.

Her fierce retorts had hit him hard as he tried his hardest to not confess his love for her right then and there.

He wanted her to know that he would never hurt her or cause her pain ever again.

She was a jewel that was hidden among the plain stones in the world and he wanted to claim her for his own.

His feelings about blood status had changed in his 4th year at Hogwarts never to go back to the horrible ways that he was accustomed to.

But because of being forced to take the dark mark, he always had to put on a cold mask to the world and it was his little witch that had suffered the most.

Seeing his aunt torture his witch on the ballroom floor made him break into sobs when he finally was able to leave the scene of the crime.

She was everything to him and she would be treated like the princess that she deserved.

Now the task was to get her to trust him and believe him.

Knowing that this would be no easy task to complete, he had decided to send her love letters in the form of an anonymous admirer and then when she trusted him enough, he would reveal himself and make her see the truth.

But for now, all he had was this letter that lay on his desk, a sign of hope and maybe; a second chance.

When he finished, he stuffed the letter into a red envelope and called his owl Archer to attach the envelope to his leg.

Archer hooted and nuzzled his master as Draco tied the letter tight on his owl's foot before he stroked his feathers gently and pointed to the starry night sky.

"I need you to take this to Hermione Granger. It's time we show her the love she deserves."

He whispered as Archer went to the window and spread his wings.

Draco watched as his owl disappeared into the dark night and when he was sure that he was gone, he leaned back in the polished level chair and sent up a prayer that one day his witch would return to him once again.


	3. Chapter 3

Sweets, Treats And Candy Coated Chaos Chapter 3

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

Hermione groaned and covered her head with a pillow as she tried to block out that blasted noise.

Realizing that the noise was coming from an owl she quickly jumped out of bed and opened her window, letting in a large black owl with a red envelope tied to its leg.

"Oh my! I don't think we've met before. Would you like a treat?"

She said softly as she stroked the owl's large feathers and gave it an owl treat.

It hooted and nuzzled her hand before sticking out its leg.

Hermione carefully untied the red envelope from its leg and looked for the name of the sender.

But all she found were the words "Your Admirer" scribbled in old cursive handwriting.

Her brows furrowed together as she wondered who on earth had sent her this letter and why they couldn't give her their name.

Thinking that it was a joke, she tore open the letter and began to read as a very different expression fell over her features.

 ** _Dear Hermione,_**

 ** _I apologize for the lateness of this letter seeing as how it's been long overdue. Ever since we first met in a shop at Diagon Alley during our first year at Hogwarts, I knew my life would never be the same. As the years passed on, my love for has grown into something uncontrollable and you now hold my heart in the palm of your hands. You're a smart witch, I know. Smartest of our age. If you knew who this letter from I can promise you would never want to hear from me again. You will never know the pain I held in my heart as I watched you fight with your friends during the war. At the final Battle, all my eyes were searching for was you. Not knowing if you alive or dead almost killed me and I was relieved and very thankful that you were, indeed alive. I know that I didn't put my name on this envelope because I fear if I tell you who I am, you will never let me explain how I've longed for your love for years. It was a few days ago that I decided that I would finally confess to you how much I love you. Hermione Jean Granger, if I spend another waking day without you by my side, I will positively go mad. I hope that you will read each and every letter that I will send to you and maybe, you will have enough understanding and love in your heart to not reject me and destine my life to be a lonely and heartbreaking affair. I must go now, because I have to get going to work but all I ask is you give me a chance. Because Hermione, I love you with all my heart and I intend to keep you forever as mine._**

 ** _I adore you my little witch,_**

 ** _Your lovesick wizard_**

By the time she had read and reread every last word over eleven times, hot wet tears trailed like small rivers down her cheeks and onto the letter that she grasped tightly to her bosom; wanting every single word to be digested into her being.

No one, not even Ron Weasley who she had dated for years after the war; ever had said anything as special and as meaningful as this letter.

Whoever this wizard was, she promised to give him a chance and couldn't imagine why he would think that he needed to hide his identity from her.

But as her eyes scanned the letter, she realized that he must've been someone at Hogwarts that she didn't get along with.

Thinking back to her school days, she rarely had a row with anyone.

The only thing she could think of was that he was a Slytherin.

Those were the only people that she ever hated with a passion.

Folding the letter in half she gently put it down on the edge of her bed as she quickly took out a piece of parchment and a quill of her own and proceeded to write out a lengthy response.

 ** _Dear lovesick wizard,_**

 ** _I can only guess that you were in Slytherin since you all were the only ones in the entire school that my friends and I had rows with. That fact does concern me slightly, but I have decided that I will give you a chance and that in my eyes you will be given a clean slate as of now. The things we fought about in the war are no longer relevant, but I still expect you to be on your best behavior when we do get a chance to meet. As to your letter, your words were startling; but very kind. How could you have been in love with me since first year and I never knew about it? I assume you're someone I know. I look forward to getting to know more about you and seeing if we really do have anything in common. Your promises to me are only good if you can keep them. Which still remains to be seen. After all, you were in Slytherin. Snakes and Lions rarely get along. But I will give you a chance. One chance to prove that you really do mean what you say and I look forward to you proving it with your actions later on. Because as they say, the proof is in the pudding._**

 ** _The curious and surprised Lioness,_**

 ** _Hermione Granger_**

Giving her response one last read through she nodded and decided that it would have to do.

After all she had no idea who she was talking to.

It could be anyone for all she knew.

Or a cruel joke by the only people who she had hated with a fiery passion.

Either way, her curiosity was peaked and she knew that if she didn't give this a chance she would surely regret it.

Folding the letter in half, she grabbed a light purple envelope off of her desk and slipped it inside before tying it to the wizard's owl.

"Take this back to your Master. I expect to see you again very soon."

She said as she stroked the bird's feathers.

The owl nuzzled her once more before taking flight out of her apartment window.

She watched it disappear into the early morning rays of light and shook her copper colored locks before heading to the kitchen where she promptly made herself a large mug of hot tea.

"What on Merlin's green earth have I gotten myself into…"

She murmured as she ran her fingers over the mysterious wizard's letter whom she had yet to meet.


	4. Chapter 4

Sweets, Treats And Candy Coated Chaos Chapter 4

It was late morning when Draco sat at his desk in his darkened office reading and rereading the letter that his little witch had sent him.

He was so thankful that she had actually replied instead of blowing it off as a hoax.

His grey eyes scanned her words and tried to make sense of the meaning behind it.

He could tell that she was hesitant, but as he knew already; she was brave and would push through because of her never ending curiosity.

The blonde wizard smiled happily at the thought of Hermione finally being his.

A quiet knock sounded on his office door as he called out a muffled "come in" as he desperately tried to find a place to hide the letters.

Narcissa Malfoy practically pranced into the room as she laid out a tray of breakfast foods in front of her son that rarely ever came out of the office.

"Hello Draco darling! My, what a pretty smile you have. It's been so long since I've seen it light up your face. Tell me child, what is it that is making you so full of joy?"

She said as she gave him a soft smile and took a seat in the chair on the other side of his desk.

Draco sighed heavily and gave up trying to hide the letters as he placed them on the desk and slid them over to his mother.

Narcissa picked up the letters and read each one in turn, her eyes never straying once from the two pieces of parchment.

When she was done she placed them neatly down onto his desk and looked up at him with a slight tilt of her head.

"Hermione Granger? The witch that's friends with Harry Potter? You've finally gotten up the nerve to confess your love for her? It only took you ten years."

She said as she let out an airy chuckle.

Draco's eyes widened as a rosy blush spread from his cheeks all the way up to his ears.

"You mean you knew? Bloody hell mother. All these years I thought you and father hated her. I thought I was supposed to hate her. I thought for sure that you'd disown me if I tried to seek affection from her."

He said as a shocked expression took over his features.

Narcissa shook her head firmly before giving him a serious look.

"Of course I knew Draco. Your father may have hated muggles and muggleborns but I never have and I never once wanted you raised in the atrocious manner that Lucius always thought was best for you. I will happily support you courting Ms. Granger and I do expect that when the time is right you will marry her and give me those grandbabies I've always wanted."

If Draco's eyes could get any larger, they would've completely popped out of his eyes sockets at that exact moment.

"MOTHER! What on earth are you talking about?! I thought you and father both hated muggles! For my ENTIRE life I've been raised to hate them. And now you're telling me that everything is all fine and dandy and you expect Hermione and I to get married and produce heirs?!"

Narcissa crooked an eyebrow at her son who looked as red as a tomato and merely tapped her manicured fingernails on the top of the desk with an impatient look.

"I'm saying Draco that I may have loved your father but I never agreed with anything he said about life. It was his decision to teach you whatever he wanted. I wasn't allowed to stop him. If I had, I would've been killed. You remember his temper don't you? I never thought I'd say this but I'm rather happy with him dying from the Dementor's Kiss last year."

There was a small part of him that was appalled by his mother's candidness but the rest of him felt like he was going to jump out of his skin and do the biggest happy dance that Wizarding England had ever seen.

"Well…that's great, mum. I appreciate this little heart to heart we're bloody having but I really do need to send this letter to Mione before she leaves for work."

He said as he gave his mother a crooked smile which she returned happily.

"Of course dear. When you do finally see each other in person, please invite her here for afternoon tea. I do love hearing about her adventurous tales."

Draco absently nodded as he made a shooing motion towards the door before he tied the letter to his owl's leg.

His mother sauntered over to the door but before she exited the room completely she leaned against the doorframe in an uncharacteristically relaxed display.

"You know Draco dear, I really do love the prospect of you getting out of this god awful room. After all, life is meant to be lived, not observed."

The youngest Malfoy watched as his owl faded into the sky before he turned around to respond to his mother but found she was no longer there.

Leaning back in his leather chair, he dropped his hands on the hard wooden surface of his desk as he thought about what she had said.

She was absolutely right.

A whole world was out there for him to explore.

And he knew exactly who he wanted to explore it with.


	5. Chapter 5

Sweets, Treats And Candy Coated Chaos Chapter 5

It had been several weeks since Hermione and her wizard had first started exchanging letters.

Since then there had been a rather large change in Hermione and everyone had been taking notice.

She floated around the candy shop with a warm glow about herself and had started to dress in more appealing clothes and shoes.

George was delighted to see that Hermione had taken a turn for the better and was secretly wishing that she'd share her secrets of how she did it with him.

It was now early February, and the weather had begun to warm as flowers started to burst up from the ground all around the land.

Hermione was currently in the front window of the shop as she magically hung a multicolored heart garland and got the display ready for St. Valentine's Day which was only a few days away.

Humming a little tune to herself, she finished hanging the decorations before she started placing colorful heart lollipops and pink raspberry flavored truffles into various jars that lined the store window.

She had personally ordered a multitude of Valentine's Day candy to fill the shop with.

George was quite literally tickled pink when the shipment arrived and a box of magical whirligigs burst open leaving him covered in pink and red glitter.

Just as she was about to step out of the window box, she heard the melodic ring of the store's bell alerting her that she had a customer waiting for her at the counter.

Quickly she jumped down and smoothed out the skirt of her red and white wrap dress and made her way over to the counter where Harry was standing.

As soon as he turned and saw her, he strode over to her and picked her up into his arms as he spun her around in circles.

Letting out a girlish squeal, Hermione hit his shoulders begging for him to stop.

"Harry James Potter put me down this instant! I'm at work and have to look at least a little bit professional."

Obliging to her wishes, the tall wizard placed her red kitten heels back down onto the pink and white checkered floor and gave her a sheepish look.

"I'm sorry Mione. I just missed you is all. It's been very busy at the Auror's office and I'm leaving on a mission to Romania with Ron and the Order tomorrow morning. I thought I'd swing by and see if you were up for some lunch."

Hermione nodded and went behind the counter to grab her things.

"Why thank you Mr. Potter. I would be delighted to join you for lunch. Goodness knows I've been busy myself here at the shop. George told me to tell you hello by the way if I ever came across you. We were beginning to think that you were gone forever seeing as how it's been ages."

Slinging her heart shaped purse over her shoulder, she smiled when Harry placed her hand in the crook of her arm as they made their way out into the crowded streets of Diagon Alley.

"So Mione, you look like you're doing well. I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress before. You look…different."

Harry said as he did a subtle once over of his best friend's new look.

Hermione scowled at him and rolled her eyes as they turned down the street towards the cozy little tea shop that they'd come to love.

"Are you forgetting about the Yule Ball where I wore a pink evening gown? If I remember correct you and Ronald had your mouths on the floor when you saw me."

Harry's brows furrowed for a moment before he chuckled and patted her hand.

"Oh that's right. Bloody hell that was a long time ago. It feels like it's been ages since we graduated. I often wonder how the staff and Professor McGonagall are doing after everything that's happened."

Hermione's smile dropped as she watched Harry's eyes glaze over in a faraway look.

"I'm sure everyone's been doing quite well. I read in the paper that they reconstructed the entire castle and have set up new houses for the students so there will be no more prejudices amongst them."

Harry nodded and gave her a small smile as he held open the door to the shop for her.

"I'm glad. It would've been terrible if the school had closed permanently."

Nodding in agreement, Hermione led them over to a small table in the corner where a waitress came and took their orders.

"Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger! It's been forever since we've seen you two here. What can I get for you today?"

The young witch asked as she pulled a small piece of parchment and a quill.

Both didn't need to look at the menu seeing as how they come so many times they now knew it by heart.

"I'll have a strong coffee with a blueberry scone please."

Harry said before the waitress turned to Hermione.

Giving the young girl a smile, Hermione recited her usual order.

"And I'll have an Earl Grey tea and a chocolate cupcake please."

The girl nodded and took down their orders before she made her way back into the kitchen.

Hermione turned back to Harry and found that he was studying her intently.

Quirking an eyebrow at him she leaned forward on her elbows and gave him a questioning look.

"Alright you're looking at me like you have something you want to say. So out with it already."

The dark haired wizard sighed heavily before meeting her eyes.

"Ron asked about you the other day. He wanted to know how you were doing since…you know…the breakup."

Hermione's expression instantly changed a stony one as her eyes drifted towards the window.

"I'm doing just fine. You can tell Ronald that it's none of his business how I am or anything of the sort. You don't just walk out on your fiancé and sleep with a girl who was known as a slag in school. How are they by the way? I'm sure Lavender's just tickled pink with how she's finally gotten her way as the homewrecker that she is."

Harry groaned as he massaged his temple where a migraine had started building.

"Hermione, Ron told that you refused to move in with him and you hadn't even so much as kissed him since that one time at the final battle. He asked you to marry him because he was thinking you would come around and want to be with him. But your actions have shown anything but."

The young witch felt her hands curl into tight fists as she glared angrily at her best friend.

"Oh did he now? Did he mention to you also how I was planning on moving in with him at the end of this year? And how I caught him and Lavender in OUR bed together? And when I confront him he said that at least she put out?!"

She yelled as people started staring at the famous witch.

Whispers started to break out as Harry made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat before fixing her with a glare of his own.

"Are you finished? By all means, tell every bloody witch and wizard in this shop of how Ron and you refuse to see the bloody point in you two getting married."

He growled out making Hermione's mouth form a thin line.

"And what is the point of Ron and I getting married Harry? Please do tell. I've always known that you and Ronald had the same motives."

Harry's fists clenched hard before he slammed them down on the table making everyone stare and gasp at the sight of them fighting.

"Because he loves you Hermione! For Godric's sake what the hell are you thinking?! You've known ever since you met Ron that this was the way it was supposed to be! But apparently you haven't been able to follow the plan! I mean what exactly do you think is going to be out there for you if you leave Ron? It's not like anyone else is bloody wanting to marry you!"

As tears stained her pale cheeks, a resounding SLAP was heard as her hand collided with his cheek.

Harry looked at her stunned at what she had just done.

"Harry James Potter, if you ever think that I was going to follow a stupid plan that you and Ron think is best for me you are sorely mistaken. I am not going to be controlled by Ron, you or anyone else in this fucking world. I am a free and independent witch who will always find a way to figure out my own life. And just for your information, one day I promise you that there will be someone who will take Ron's place and it will be the best day of my life!"

She screamed before she gathered up her purse and ran out of the shop and down the street before collapsing against a hard brick wall in the back alleyway of her own shop.

Sobs wracked her body as she tried to erase the dark mud and soot stains on her now ruined dress before shakily getting to her feet and apparating back to her apartment alone.

The times were changing and if it was one thing that Hermione knew, she would not allow herself to be forced into a marriage that she never wanted and to someone she never loved.

She thought of fixing the mess that her life had become, but then realized that thoughts of reconciling with Ron or Harry wasn't going to be an option.

As she peeled the soaked and dirty dress off her body, she stood tall in the mirror and promised herself and her mysterious wizard that they would start over into a life that was built around their wants, needs, and their everlasting love.


	6. Chapter 6

Sweets, Treats and Candy Coated Chaos Chapter 6

Sleep.

That was what she really needed.

She was so goddamn tired that she didn't even run to the window to let her wizard's owl in.

After a few minutes of pecking at her windowsill, the bird squawked apparently offended by the lack of attention.

Letting out a groan, Hermione shakily raised herself up into a sitting position as she pulled the fuzzy white blanket that was wrapped around her shoulders tighter.

Deciding that maybe it really was time to let the poor bird in, she walked over to the window and opened it as the gorgeous black owl landed on her kitchen table before starting to eat the brownies that she had made earlier that day.

"Shoo! You do NOT get to eat my brownies! That's what owl treats are for you silly bird."

She said as she waved her hand across the table effectively making the bird give her bare fingers a nip.

Shaking her hand she let out a wince when she felt a small cut where her wizard's owl had taken a chunk out of her finger. "Nope. Bloody nope. You are not getting an owl treat after that Mister."

She chided as the bird had the decency to actually look somewhat guilty.

With her good hand she untied the letter from the bird's foot and began to read as she picked up a brownie that had been unscathed from the bird's wrath and started munching on it.

Dear Little Witch,

I bring you greetings from a small café in Italy as I grab a bite to eat before heading home for the night. I was visiting a friend here and he insisted that I try the pizza from this place. It is rather delicious I must say. I have spent all day wondering what you have been doing back in London and I was hoping that maybe you would like to finally meet on St. Valentine's Day at the festival in Diagon Alley. I have been brainstorming ideas for how we can find each other in the massive crowd. I know you're a talented witch when coming up with ideas so I think I shall leave that up to you. I can't wait till I can see your beautiful face and kiss you senseless. I promise little witch that this will be the beginning of our own fairytale. You will be treated like the princess you are and I will spoil you rotten. I do hope that you aren't too angry when you discover who I am. But I have high hopes that there may be a possibility that you will accept my love for you. Please have a good rest of the week and I will see you on Saturday. I love you Hermione.

Forever yours,

Prince Charming

P.s. This sunset over the canals of Venice would be much more beautiful if you were here with me.

Hermione felt her eyes water at her wizard's words and clutched the letter tightly to her chest.

When she looked down at the parchment again, she gasped when she saw that her fingers had been covered in chocolate and she had ruined the letter with dirty fingerprints.

Looking at the brownies on the table, she pushed the plate towards her wizard's owl who gave a hoot of happiness.

"They're all yours. Have at it."

She said as she went to the sink to rinse the chocolate off of her hands.

Once they were dry she cast a cleaning spell on the letter and watched as the fingerprints disappeared into thin air.

Just as she was about to read it again, a loud crack sounded from the living room making her grab her wand and storm into the room.

George let out a yelp of surprise when he found that his best friend's wand was pointed straight at his nose.

"Merlin Hermione! Put that down. It's just me!"

He said as he gave her an amused smile.

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh before slipping her wand back into its holster on her thigh.

"What are you doing here George? I thought you were going to be running the shop for the rest of the afternoon."

Taking a seat on her couch and putting his feet up, he gave her a sly smirk.

"I'm here to make sure my best friend is still alive after storming out earlier. Ginny's running the shop for the afternoon. Harry came back to the Burrow and took his anger out on all of us. She was more than happy to get away for a while."

Hermione sank down into the arm chair across from him as she processed the news.

Rubbing a hand down her face she groaned and looked up only to see that George was watching her with a concerned expression.

"You know it's not your fault, Mione. Harry's being like this with everyone. I think out of all of us he's the one that still hasn't really recovered from the war. Not to say I have or you have, or any of us really, but that I believe the things he had done and seen are going to haunt him for years. You and I both know that he didn't used to be like this. All we can really do is hope that he turns a corner in the right direction."

Shaking her head she let the tears she had been holding back fall as her shoulders shook with silent sobs.

"He was my best friend and now I don't even know him anymore. He and Ron have all but deserted all of us. They get mad when I say that I'm getting better. I think it's probably because they wish they were getting better too."

George left the couch and came to kneel down in front of her as he raised her chin so she looked him in his bright green eyes.

"Hermione Jean Granger do not let those boys dictate who you are and where you're going in life. I can tell that you're incredibly happy lately and I think I know why. You're in love Hermione. And that's a beautiful thing. If this person that you've fallen for is really the right person for you, then he will support your dreams and aspirations. And remember, now is NOT the time for tears. St. Valentine's Day is on Saturday and we've got a hell of a lot to do before then to get the shop ready. I vote you go take a shower and get dressed so you can go back to the shop and help Ginny with the workload. Heavens knows she's clueless when it comes to the shipments and orders."

Before he could even finish, Hermione threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck as she got lost in the feeling of comfort that her best friend had given her.

"Thank you George. You really do mean the world to me. I know if Fred were here he'd be really proud of how far you've come. One day there will be a girl that you'll fall for and you too will be as happy as me. I love you like the brother I never had. And I'm dragging you back to the shop with me. Just because you came here to cheer me up does not mean that you shouldn't be working."

She whispered before pulling away and seeing that George's eyes were glazed over with tears.

He quickly wiped at his eyes before grasping her hands and pulling her to her feet.

"Love you too, Mione. Now go get in that bloody shower. You smell awful."

Hermione whacked his shoulder making him burst out laughing before she scurried off to her bedroom to go take that shower.

George started to whistle a tune as he put his hands in his pockets and went into the kitchen.

His eyebrows shot to his hairline when he spied the majestic black owl feasting on some rather burnt brownies.

He knew that owl anywhere.

A knowing smile played on his lips as he picked up the letter that sat on the table and began to read it.

"Looks like Draco finally took my advice…"

He said before he shook his head and shooed the large bird off of the table and out the window.

One thing he did know was that it was really fun to play matchmaker and he couldn't wait until Hermione found out that Draco was the one behind the letters.

Sitting down at the table, he smiled happily at the thought of bringing two very different, yet lovable people together for their very own happily ever after.


	7. Chapter 7

Sweets, Treats And Candy Coated Chaos Chapter 7

A/N: Hey guys! Oh my gosh it's time for them to meet! I hope you fall in love with this scene as much as I have. Theme song for this chapter is Rainbow by Jessie J.

 **Saturday, February 14** **th**

 **St. Valentine's Day Extravaganza**

 **2:15 Diagon Alley**

 **Draco's P.O.V.**

It was a little after 2:00 in the afternoon and Draco found himself pushing and shoving past the party goers that filled up the cobblestone square in Diagon Alley. 

The air was filled with excitement as he passed wizards and witches, young and old enjoying the day's festivities.

He checked his watch and made his way over to the center of the square where he stood holding the magically charmed red heart balloon that would lit up and explode into pink and gold confetti signaling where he was in the crowd so his little witch could find him.

Hermione had come up with the brilliant idea and Draco felt a light smile take over his lips at the thought of his little witch wading through the crowd in search of him.

They had exchanged several letters late last night and the last one that he had received from her stated that she was ready to start the beginning of their very own fairytale which made Draco's heart soar up into the cloudless sky and explode just like his balloon would.

He moved closer to the stage where Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt had charmed his voice so it broadcast over the entire square.

"Wizards and Witches of Wizarding London, I welcome you to our St. Valentine's Day Extravaganza Dedication Ceremony! As you see we have handed out heart balloons to all of you as a way of remembering our fallen comrade's that have perished in the years that our world has been torn apart by war and hate. As we stand here together, I want to praise all of you for coming together and becoming one large magical family. I can guarantee that every single one of your friends and family that have passed on are very proud of each and every one of you. So, in honor of those who cannot join us here today, please raise your balloons and on the count of three let them join our friends in the sky! 1…2…3! Happy St. Valentine's Day everyone! May Merlin bless us all!"

Draco's eyes were wet with tears as he let go of his balloon and watched it fly high and then burst into a bright red light and sprinkle glitter confetti down onto where he was standing.

Scanning the sky his eyes widened and he let out a gleeful laugh as he watched Hermione's balloon burst signaling that she was also standing near the stage.

Pushing through the crowd, he made his way over to where his love and future was standing.

 **Hermione's P.O.V.**

Hermione watched as her wizard's balloon exploded and quickly ran in the direction that it came from.

Just as she was about to reach her wizard's spot, her feet got tangled in her long skirt and she fell forward making her let out a shriek.

Right before she hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught her and turned her around so she was looking up at none other than Draco Malfoy.

Her eyes widened in surprise before she let out a girlish squeal.

"Draco…You are…"

Draco dipped her low and brushed back a piece of her long hair before placing the most wonderful kiss she had ever had on her pink lips.

She wrapped her arms around him and ran her fingers through his platinum locks as they clung to each other like a lifeline.

When they finally pulled back, both were breathing heavily as they stared at each other in complete wonder and awe.

"That's right little witch. Our fairytale begins now."

Draco whispered before they both lost themselves in another fiery and passionate embrace.

As the crowd around them cheered, the wizard and his witch didn't hear a thing as their magic wrapped around their souls and entwined them together as one forever.


	8. Chapter 8

Sweets, Treats and Candy Coated Chaos Chapter 8

It had been two hours since the festival started and laughter could be heard from Candy Heart's storage room making the customers give Ginny and Harry a quesbioning look but they merely rolled their eyes and continued to man the shop while Hermione and Draco caught up between the boxes of candy.

"Alright so tell me again how you meet Harry and Ron." Draco asked as he sucked on a sour green apple lollipop.

Hermione twittered with giggles as she began the story again while sucking on a cherry jubilee lollipop herself.

"Okay so I was on the train going from room to room looking for Neville's bloody frog Trevor and I opened one of the compartments and there was Harry and Ron sitting there staring at me like I had three heads or something. We got to talking and we all tried to perform some spells and the next thing I knew, we were best friends."

Draco looked deep in thought as he popped another cherry jellybean into his mouth.

"So if it had been me, Blaise and Theo in a compartment instead and we all had been the same blood status, do you think we would've become your best friends too?"

He asked as she took a lick of her lolli and thought about his question.

"Mmmm…probably not because you all were slimey gits back then."

She said with a smirk as Draco made a sour face which Hermione wasn't sure if it had been caused by his sour lolli or the memories of his former self.

He was silent for a moment before he nodded in agreement while popping another jellybean into his mouth.

"Yeah, you're right. We were pretty fucking awful back then."

He said as Hermione scooted closer to him and took his hand in her own.

"But you all are different now and I'd be happy to be friends with the three of you."

She said as he set his lolli down on one of the boxes and pounced so he now straddled her waist and looked down at her with a heated gaze.

"Friends with Blaise and Theo? Okay. Friends with me? No, Hermione. I don't want to be your friend. I want to be so much more for you."

He breathed before his lips took hers hostage in a steamy kiss.

Hermione felt her lolli fly out of her hand as she moaned into his mouth which he swallowed down greedily.

Just as his hands found the hem of her dress and began to climb further up her milky white thighs, the door to the storage room flew open and Ginny burst out laughing as Harry threw his hands up in the air and let out an exasperated noise.

"Potter, She Weasel. How lovely it is for you to join us."

Draco drawled as Ginny put her hands on her hips and sent a glare over to Harry who was pointedly ignoring all of them.

"I bloody told you they were still going at it. But nooo. You never listen to me do you Harry James Potter?"

She growled as Harry paled considerably.

It had been just yesterday that Hermione and he had gotten into a fight in the tea shop but one very revealing floo call changed everything.

Draco had flooed Harry and explained what was going on which Harry was definitely surprised, but after Draco told him his intentions, he was okay with them dating.

He had apologized to Hermione that morning and Ginny had found out right after that.

Both were very supportive, especially when they heard how support George was of the entire thing.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at her friends and pulled the hem of her skirt down so her knickers were no longer showing.

"What the bloody hell is going on? I told you two that we were spending some time talking back here and that you need to man the shop. What is so important that needs my attention RIGHT now?"

She growled as Harry looked to Ginny who quirked an eyebrow down at the witch who was still underneath her wizard in a precarious position.

"Talking, eh? So all the moans we heard were just a thing of our imagination? Bloody hell, Mione you were scaring away the customers. This room needs to be better insulated. Every little sound can be heard from the outside."

She ranted as Draco tried to get his lolli loose from the box but found that no matter how he tugged, it was stuck making him look like he was about to hex the whole damn box.

"The whole bloody store needs to be better insulated."

George said cheerily as he popped his head in to see what all the fuss was about.

"We could hear you two from next door. I was hoping that you all would give the customers a little show. It would drive business up the wall."

He said as he sent Hermione a saucy wink.

Hermione blushed seven different shades of red and pink within about a minute as she slowly turned to Draco who was still tugging at his lolli.

"Don't worry, love. We can get you another lolli. I suppose we should get back to work."

She said as Draco growled at the lolli before kicking the box over which released jellybeans that flew through the air and rained down over all of them like confetti.

Hermione placed her hand on her forehead and began to rub her temples as rainbow jellybeans fell down into her hair and got caught in her bra.

Draco turned and his angry face immediently melted away as he started laughing loudly making Ginny and Harry wonder what he was laughing about.

He not so subtly pointed to Hermione's hair where her lolli had lodged itself and was holding her against the tile floor.

"What on earth?"

She said as she tried to sit up but found that she couldn't.

"Think we've found your lolli, sweetheart."

Draco said as Hermione finally realized what had happened.

She let out an earth shattering scream that made them all wince and cover their ears.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO FUCKING TAKE ME TO GET THIS DAMN LOLLI OUT OF MY HAIR? IT'S GOING TO TAKE FUCKING WEEKS! HONESTLY I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE THAT WE JUST HAD TO HAVE FUCKING LOLLIS! AND OH BLOODY HELL I'VE GOT JELLYBEANS IN MY BRA!"

She screamed as Draco reached into her bra and took out a jellybean before popping it into his mouth.

"Mmm….pineapple. One of my favorites."

He said dreamily as he continued eating candy out of his girlfriend's bra while she squirmed and kicked on the floor.

Harry grabbed Ginny and George's arms and dragged them out of the room before shutting the door.

Hermione glared up at her boyfriend with a look of distain.

"I hope you know you're going to help me wash out every little bit of this lolli, Draco Malfoy."

She said as he nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he grabbed both of her hands and pulled them hard, tearing the lolli from her head and making her let out an even worse high pitched scream that he was sure had broken everyone's ear drums that were in Diagon Alley.

"Arrgghhh….Dracoooo!"

She whined as grabbed her round her waist and apparated them back home.

The next four hours were spent with Draco trying every beauty charm in the book to remove the traces of lolli from her hair but unfortunately he never was very good at charms so he ended up turning her hair electric blue.

All in all it had been a good day, and when he laid down in bed to go to sleep with his girlfriend for the first time, he nuzzled his nose into her blue, lolli sticky hair and sighed in happiness for the first time in a long time.


	9. Chapter 9

Sweets, Treats And Candy Coated Chaos Chapter 9

The glittering ray of the morning sun was the first thing Hermione saw as she blinked her large brown eyes open sleepily.

Blinking once, twice, three times she yawned and rolled over hoping to come face to face with Draco but instead rolled over and found that there was a cold, empty spot on the bed beside her.

Sitting up quickly, she looked around the room in confusion wondering where he had gone off to.

Tilting her head to the side she could've sworn that she heard laughter coming from the other room.

Carefully getting out of bed, she slipped on her slippers and wrapped herself in her silky pink robe before making her way out into the living room where she found a curious sight before her.

There in the middle of the living room was Draco Malfoy with messy blonde hair sticking in all directions with a pair of blue pajama bottoms hanging from his hips sitting on the floor crossed legged in front of her coffee table with all three of her pygmy puffs dancing about before him.

"Mr. Sparkles, you really are going to have to learn to share your treats with your brothers. It's not nice to eat them all before anyone else gets any."

Draco scolded the small pink puff that had the decency to look guilty.

She giggled when she noticed that there were crumbs of a cookie sitting in front of him and the other puffs were looking quite put out.

Draco glanced up when he noticed the puffs congregating towards their new mother along the coffee tables edge.

"Oh good you're up. We need to go down to the shop and get more cookies for Clover and Sailor. Mr. Sparkles is having a bit of trouble on learning how to share."

He said as he sent a pointed look over at the pink puff that made a squeak of indignation.

Hermione chuckled and took a seat beside him as the puffs jumped onto her shoulders and nuzzled into her hair.

"Well we have to go into the shop for work anyways so I suppose we can take them along with us."

She said as she let out a giggle when Mr. Sparkles started to nimble at the small traces of lolli that were still stuck to her long brown locks.

Draco's eyes flickered with a hint of annoyance.

"Work? What do you mean work? Malfoy's don't work."

He said in a haughty tone that she knew all too well.

Quirking an eyebrow in his direction she and the puffs turned to look at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Oh yes work. Now that you're going to be living with me, you're going to need to earn your keep. You'll be helping me man the store during the day and in the evening we will be sorting through the boxes of treats in the back storage room."

She said in a matter of fact tone that made Draco's eyes widen before he let out a loud huff.

"Malfoy's don't work."

He muttered under his breath which made Hermione roll her eyes in frustration.

"Well they do now."

She said before she got to her feet and headed off towards the kitchen.

"Where are you going?"

Draco asked as she disappeared from his view.

"I'm going to make us breakfast which will be another thing that you will be learning soon."

She said as he stalked into the kitchen and plopped down onto one of the wooden chairs.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she took out a carton of eggs from the refrigerator and got started on heating up a skillet for omelets.

She was none too surprised that Draco was putting up a fuss over the fact that he would need to work but it still didn't make her any less annoyed.

It was quiet except for the sounds of the puffs who were watching her from the side of the counter eager to have a taste of some egg.

Hermione met their beady eyes and shook her head firmly making all of them pout as only a puff could.

As soon as the first omelet was done, she made her way over to the table and placed it in front of Draco who had the decency to look up at her and mutter a small thank you. She nodded before getting back to work on her own omelet.

Suddenly a whoosh sound echoed in from the living room making Draco jump up out of his seat and go into a defensive position with his wand.

Hermione yelped at the action and nearly dropped the skillet that she was holding before she relaxed upon seeing that it was only George.

Draco quirked an eyebrow over at the red headed intruder and scoffed.

"You can't be serious. He just walks in whenever he wants? How is that safe? Can anyone just walk into this apartment?"

He said as he turned to look at Hermione who gave a small wave to George.

"George is always welcome here and you'd do best to remember that."

She said firmly as George crossed the room and took her into his arms.

They hugged one another for a moment before pulling back and George looked over to a very jealous Draco who had hidden his wand away somewhere and was brooding up against the kitchen wall.

"You alright there, Drake? You look like you could use some breakfast."

George teased making Draco roll his eyes in exasperation.

Hermione giggled and began making a third omelet for their new arrival.

"He does look a tad peckish doesn't he? I told he should eat more but he never listens."

She teased making Draco's face go red before his eyes dropped to the floor.

"Peckish? We'll see who's peckish…."

He muttered as he glanced over at the new love of his life.

He would get her for that one. And he would get her good.

Little did Hermione know, the dragon prince had begun planning out his revenge.

"How's everything at the shop?"

Hermione asked as they all finally sat down to breakfast.

Draco summoned the paper and began reading it as he pointedly ignored the two others at the table.

"It's going okay. The new shipment arrived today and it needs to be sorted out before we open this morning."

George said as he stuffed a piece of egg into his mouth. Hermione pushed her egg around on her plate as she began making a mental list of things to do.

"So that'll be the first thing we do then. As soon as the shipment is stocked then we'll open for the day. I plan to stay open until a good amount of our stock is sold. We've got too much inventory and we need to get rid of it."

She said as she went into full on planning mode.

Now it was Draco's turn to glance over at his brown eyed beauty in concern.

Carefully folding the newspaper, he gently put it to the side before leaning towards her.

"Darling, you need to slow down. Everything will get done in time. It doesn't all have to be done right now."

He soothed as Hermione stopped pushing the now cold egg on her plate and looked up at him incredulously.

"Of course it needs to be done now. If we don't do it now it may never get done and then the shop will fail and then what would we do?"

She said as she started to become frantic.

George sighed from across the table and sent a look over at Draco who had no clue what he had just done.

"Never tell her that something doesn't need to be done. She'll go completely mad over the details of how it needs to get done that she won't think rationally for days."

He said as Draco threw his hands up in exasperation. Hermione's eyes became wide as her breathing started to quicken.

Draco didn't know what he did wrong but he knew he needed to fix it and he needed to fix it now.

Scooting out of his chair he quickly pulled Hermione up out of her chair and wrapped her tightly in his arms.

Her breathing became to go back to normal as she relished in the feeling of having him hold her.

"We'll get it done. Don't worry, Mione. Everything will be alright."

He whispered into her ear making her practically melt into a puddle of goo right there on the kitchen floor.

"Mmmhmm." She murmured in agreement as Draco and George shared a look of relief.

After a few moments they finished and cleaned up before heading their separate ways for the day.

George told them that he would see them back at the shop and would check in on them later and then promptly flooed away leaving the two new lovers alone yet again.

Hermione had rushed into the shower and managed to wash and dress in a little less than two minutes while Draco mulled around outside the bathroom door suggesting different ideas on how to unload the boxes waiting for them into the storage room while Hermione gave him quick and precise answers.

After they had gotten ready, both Draco and Hermione flooed over to the Hogsmeade where people were just started to roam the cobblestone streets.

Hermione's face drew into a serene expression as she produced the shop's key from her pocket and walked into her shop for the first time that day.

It always made her happy to come into the shop that she had created from the ground up each morning and work hard throughout the day to help it grow and flourish.

As she stepped inside her smile grew wider when she saw that Draco was already ten steps ahead of her and was already digging through the new shipment.

For the first time in her life she felt calm and happy in a way that she never had before. She felt satisfied with life and having Draco by her side was just the icing on the cake.


	10. Chapter 10

Sweets, Treats And Candy Coated Chaos Chapter 10

A/N: A little domestic/work fluff for you. Theme song for this chapter is I Really Like You by Carly Rae Jepsen.

-MoonlitShadow

"NO! NO! NO! Those boxes need to go over there! They're blocking the door way!"

Hermione's voice cried as Draco and Ginny rolled their eyes for the millionth time that day.

The curly haired witch had been a bit high strung when it came to unpacking the latest shipments of candy and other sweet treats from their boxes that lay just outside of the store room.

"I told you already, Mione. There's no other place to put them. Are you sure you didn't order too much?"

Ginny replied as she gave a grunt of distress when Draco placed yet another box ontop of the pile of boxes that she was already trying to move away from the store room's door.

Hermione paused mid-way down the aisles of candy and slowly turned to them with a slightly panicked expression.

"You think I might have? Oh Merlin, we better check the order records. There must have been some sort of mistake."

She said quickly as she made her way behind the counter where Harry was just finishing ringing up another customer.

He nodded to her with a smirk as he took another sip of his mug of hot coffee that sat next to the cash register.

"Calm down, Hermione. I'm sure there wasn't a mistake. Ginny's just being difficult."

Draco said loudly as he tried and failed to shout over the massive amounts of noise that filled the crowded shop.

It was a weekend and the shop was packed with witches and wizards from all over the Wizarding World.

Hermione shook her head and silently prayed that there wasn't an error in her calculations as she sifted through the large book of orders that lay in front of her.

Running her fingers down the lines of numbers, she gasped when she noticed that there was indeed a mistake in the order numbers.

"Oh my goodness, Draco, come here!"

She cried out as Draco and Ginny exchanged a look and he set down the box that he was currently unloading from one of the store room shelves.

Making his way quickly over to her, he glanced down at the order number that she was pointing to.

His brows furrowed when he noticed that there was an order of 17 boxes of cotton candy that currently was sitting in front of them making him look up at her in confusion.

"Someone ordered too many boxes of cotton candy for the week. Who was the last person to use the order book?"

He said quietly as Hermione let out a groan of frustration.

"It was George. He must've ordered an extra-large shipment for his new litter of pigmy puffs."

Draco's eyes lit up in understanding before he dropped a small kiss on top of her caramel locks and gestured to the door that led over to George's shop.

"No worries, darling. I'll go take care of it. I'm sure George didn't mean any harm. Those pygmy puffs sure are selling like hot cakes."

He said with a calm smile making Hermione nod and finally give him a small smile in return.

"Thank you!"

She called after him as he made his way over into George's joke shop that was bustling with just as many if not more wizards and witches looking for a good laugh.

As soon as he stepped into the shop next door, he was almost immediately hit in the forehead with a magical paper plane that zoomed through the air. Wincing at the now throbbing spot on his face, he waved his hand and magically sent the plane back to the little boy that it had come from with a look of distaste.

Stalking over to the counter, he found George in the middle of a long winded explanation about the important of practicing the proper fire safety magical techniques when using the new sparklers that he had in stock.

"And you really don't want to light your mates on fire, yeah? So just make sure to keep the sparklers at least an arm's length away from the nearest person."

George concluded as he spotted Draco coming towards him and left the oohing and ahhing crowd behind to meet him in the middle of the store.

"Hey there, old Drake. How goes the sweet life next door?"

George asked jovially as Draco smirked and chuckled at his new red haired friend.

"Oh it's going alright. Mione discovered your extra order of cotton candy for the puffs. She's not too happy about it and sent me over to deal with it."

Draco drawled as they both glanced over at the door that led back over to the candy shop next door.

George's smile faltered for a mere nanosecond before lighting up brightly once again.

"No worries. Just tell Mione to take whatever she needs for the shop and to bring the rest over as soon as she can. I've made extra room in the store room for them over here."

He said as Draco nodded in understanding before patting the older boy on the back.

"Thanks mate. I'll let Mione know. Good luck with those sparklers. They look like they're going to sell out almost as fast as the puffs."

Draco said as George's smile grew even wider and he nodded excitedly.

Holding out his arms he spun around in a playful circle before gesturing to the crowds around them.

"Never in my brother and I's wildest dreams could we have imagined the success of the shop after the war. I only wish Fred was here to see it too."

He said as a glint of sadness washed over his bright green eyes.

Draco gave him a small smile and another pat on the back for comfort.

"I know mate. We all wish he was too. He would've loved it, I'm sure."

He said gently as George sniffled lightly and nodded before pulling out a candy colored striped handkerchief out of his pocket and blotting at his eyes.

"Thanks, Drake. You know, you snakes aren't half bad every once and a while."

He said as Draco let out a bark of laughter with George soon joining in.

Draco shook his head and threw up a hand in a quick goodbye before heading back over to where Hermione was waiting patiently at the door for him.

The sound of George's laughter still filled the air as Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest making him sigh with happiness as he held her tightly.

"I take it you handled it."

Hermione said simply as Draco nodded and pulled back to press his lips gently against her own.

"Oh yes. I think it's taken care of for now."

He said as they walked back towards the candy shop both knowing that the meaning was much deeper than just an order of cotton candy.

With full hearts and happy laughter, they joined Harry and Ginny for the rest of the work day and didn't stop until every last customer was out the door.


	11. Chapter 11

Sweets, Treats And Candy Coated Chaos Chapter 11

A/N: Yet another sweet chapter for you. Love you all. –MoonlitShadow

It was a little after six in the evening when Hermione said goodbye to her last customer of the day and turned the open sign around to closed. It had been a long day of putting away countless amounts of stock and dealing with all types of customer questions and concerns. Running a hand through her long hair, she turned and smiled when she saw that Harry, Ginny and Draco were still with her and they were beginning to clean up the shop for the night. She nodded a tired thanks to Ginny who handed her a broom as she joined her in cleaning up any spilled candy that was strewn about the floor tiles.

Harry and Draco were almost done carrying the last few boxes of cotton candy over to George's joke shop and everyone was winding down from the busy day. "Long day, eh Mione?" Ginny quipped as she shot her a smirk while cleaning up a mess of pixie sticks that had been thrown from the display. "Oh absolutely. It's always long but also rewarding at the end of every day." Hermione said as a wave of nostalgia washed over her. She paused her broom mid sweep she looked around the shop and took in the very thing that had saved both her and George from a lifetime of sadness. Candy Hearts had taken off in leaps and bounds and they had come so far from the first few days of the shop when they opened two years ago. It was amazing how much everything and everyone had changed since then. She finally was able to get a smile out of George and after the death of his twin brother, everyone thought that that would be a seldom occasion.

But George had pushed through the pain and joined her on an adventure of a lifetime which she would forever be grateful for. If it hadn't been for him and Fred's small savings from their first few years of earnings from the joke shop, her own shop would have never existed. She remembered the day that George had brought her the check for the opening costs. She was furious with him and had refused to accept it. But George persisted and in the end it was said that this is what Fred would have wanted for his adopted sister.

Those memories washed over her in waves as she looked up and saw that George had joined Harry and Draco in loading the remaining boxes in the store room and was laughing along to whatever conversation they were having. Leaning on the end of her broom handle she sighed as Ginny stopped and smiled as she followed her gaze. "Pretty happy bunch, aren't they?" She said as Hermione nodded and began sweeping once again. "It's good to see them all together like that. It makes me think there's hope for this world." She said quietly as Ginny stopped for a moment and held her gaze. Reaching for the dust pan off the hook on the wall, she dropped to her knees in front of Hermione as she swept up a particularly large clump of chocolate kisses. "There's a lot of hope for this world, Hermione. Sometimes you just have to stop and slow down to see it." Ginny said simply as Hermione nodded, deep in thought over the red head's words.

The two worked in silence for a few moments before Draco noticed that they had become unusually silent. Making his way over to them, his smile faltered when he noticed the intense expression on Hermione's face. Taking the broom from her hand, he handed it to Ginny who was waiting patiently to take it from him. Pulling her gently to the side, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at her with a no nonsense look. "Alright, love. What's wrong? We all know something's wrong just by looking at you and Gin. So what is it? We've had a rather good and busy day. There shouldn't be any reason to be upset." He said gently, but firmly as his grey eyes searched her deep brown ones.

Hermione avoided his gaze and fidgeted with her hands as she suddenly became very aware of the emotions that she was having. She knew everything was alright. But why was she feeling sad? She didn't have a clue as she looked up and met Draco's concerned gaze. "I don't know. Ginny and I were just discussing things and I guess I got a tad bit nostalgic." She said simply as she shrugged her shoulders. Draco's eyes darkened for a fraction of a second before he nodded sharply in understanding. So they had been thinking about the war. The former death eater knew how they felt better than anyone in this room. He knew what it was like to lose everything. And he also knew what it was like to find it and cherish it again. He let out a long sigh before wrapping his arms gently around her shoulders and giving her a tight squeeze. "We all have those moments, Mione. We just gotta stick together, yeah? That's how we'll make it through." He said as she nodded in agreement. Letting out a small yawn, Hermione buried her face in his shirt and nuzzled him tiredly. "It's days like this that make me appreciate everything all the more." She whispered into his chest as he nodded and nuzzled his nose into her curls.

"Indeed. Now come on, love. It's time to get your beauty rest. Not that you need it of course." He teased as she giggled shook her head. "I suppose we're finished for the day. Alright everyone, time to go home." She said loudly as everyone gathered up their things and headed towards the front of the shop to lock up. "Good day, yeah?" Harry asked as he clutched his empty mug to his chest. "Yeah. Good day." Hermione said as she wrapped an arm around his waist and gave him a gentle squeeze. Harry gave her a one armed hug back before heading out the door hand in hand with Ginny. "We'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning, alright Mione?" Ginny called over her shoulder as she and Harry made her way out into the crowded streets of Hogsmeade. "Sure thing, Gin." Hermione called after her making Ginny laugh and smile before disappearing into the crowd for the night.

Slowly she turned and a slow, lazy smirk appeared on her features as she took in Draco's lithe form leaning up against the door frame. "I do believe it's time for both of us to get our beauty rest." He drawled as she nodded and grabbed his hand before pulling him out into the street. Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed him hard on the mouth and reveled in the way he tasted as they kissed in the dim street lights. It was their first real kiss and she found herself wanting more as he nibbled on her bottom lip before biting down on it and making her gasp out of sheer pleasure. But reluctantly she pulled away as they both breathed heavy looking at one another with a fiery gaze. "I think it's time to say goodnight for now." She breathed out as he shakily nodded and stepped out of their heated embrace. "Right. Well goodnight then, Hermione." Draco said awkwardly as he ran a hand through his messy blonde hair and gave her a small smile. He gave her a wave before turning around and quickly making himself lost in the crowd. He didn't know why she hadn't wanted him to stay and it bothered him that she had stopped when things were just about to go to the next level. He was so ready to be on that next level that his heart and cock clenched at the same time as he wandered aimlessly through the crowd. Finding himself in front of a corner pub, he sighed and went inside to drink away his cares about the girl with the lovely brown eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

Sweets, Treats and Candy Coated Chaos Chapter 12

A/N: Hello all my lovely readers! I do apologize for this chapter being so late. I didn't mean for it to take this long but I've been having a bad case of writer's block with all my stories. I'm not sure how great this chapter is. I kind of think it's not the best. But it was the best I could do at the time. If anyone has any ideas, suggestions or comments about this story or any other story I'm writing please feel free to drop me a pm or review and I'll be happy to listen. I just ask that you keep your comments as kind as possible. Thanks-MoonlitShadow

It was 4 a.m. and Hermione tossed yet again in her empty bed.

Her eyes blinked open slowly and she groaned in frustration at her inability to stay asleep.

It had been a rough night for the young witch as she had ended up tossing and turning until the wee hours of the morning.

Deciding that trying to force herself to go back to bed was useless, she yawned and ran a hand through her long messy hair before sitting up and letting her eyes adjust to the darkness of her room.

She looked at the clock and let out another groan knowing that it was too little too late for her to get any more sleep for the night.

She would usually be getting up to open the shop with George around 10 in the morning so it made no sense to try and go back to sleep now.

Pulling back the plush covers of her bed, she turned on the lights to her room before making her way out of her room and into the hall heading towards the bathroom.

When she turned on the bathroom light she almost screamed at the sight of herself in the mirror.

Her long brown hair was messy and tangled and her face was a bit shiny with oil and sweat.

Rolling her eyes, she knew that she had better start her morning routine now instead of later knowing that it would take quite a while for her to fix the damage that had been done to her appearance.

About an hour later, Hermione was in the process of applying the hair serum that she had concocted for her hair when a small hooting noise along with several knocks came from her window making her jump in surprise.

When she opened the window, she saw that Draco's owl was perched on her bedpost with a letter secured firmly in its beak.

Temporarily abandoning her struggles with her hair, she gave the bird a treat to which it hooted in thanks at her as she sat down to read the letter.

Dear Hermione,

I apologize if I am sending this a bit too early for your liking.

I tend to be an early riser and thought that you might be as well.

If not, then please feel free to send my owl back to me and I can instruct it to give this letter to you at a more appropriate time.

I wish to tell you in any event, good morning and that I hope you slept well.

I was thinking about the good day that we had yesterday at the shop and was wondering if you'd perhaps like to meet me for breakfast this morning before we all head to work.

If your answer is yes, please send your reply as soon as possible so I can make the necessary arrangements.

I look forward to seeing you little witch,

Your wizard,

Draco Malfoy

Hermione's heart fluttered with affection for her wizard as she quickly jotted down a response letting him know that she would love to meet him and handed the letter to his owl who happily took off towards the Malfoy manor.

She quickly made her way over to her wardrobe where she kept all of her outfits and began to put together a suitable outfit for breakfast with her wizard lover.

It took a total of an hour and a half for Hermione to successfully decide on an outfit and dress herself along with putting the finishing touches on her hair that was now thankfully as smooth as ever.

She took a look in the mirror and twirled around happily as she admired herself dressed in a purple floral romper set with matching purple heels.

Grabbing a small matching sweater from her closet, she made sure everything in her apartment was secure before she headed to the address in Diagon Alley that Draco had requested they meet at.

As soon as she had sent her response, he had wasted no time making sure she knew that she would be well taken care of for that morning.

It didn't take her long to apparate and find the small café that Draco had made reservations at.

She scanned the morning crowd of patrons before her face lit up in a bright smile when she spotted Draco waving at her from the corner of the room.

She quickly made her way over to him and he enveloped her in a tight hug nearly squeezing all the air out of her lungs before helping her into her seat.

"Good morning, little witch! It's so good to see you up so bright and early this morning.

I hope you don't mind but I already put in an order for both of us of my absolute favorite breakfast sampler that I often get here.

It's simply delicious and I do think you'll love it as much as I do."

He said happily as he took her hand from across the table and laced their fingers together making her blush brightly in the morning sun.

"No I don't mind at all. And it's good to see you as well, Draco. How was the rest of your evening last night?"

She inquired as she took a sip of her glass of orange juice that lay in front of her.

Draco's smile faltered for a fraction of a second but he quickly erased any signs of unhappiness knowing that he wouldn't let her find out about his unfortunate trip to the local pub.

"It was acceptable I suppose. Nothing too special happened. This morning is much more exciting with you sitting there so lovely across from me."

He said with a smile a saucy wink that he sent her way making his witch giggle with delight.

"Well now that I've buttered you up enough to get you all giddy and joyful, I wanted to ask a favor of you if you wouldn't mind."

He said as he leaned forward making Hermione wonder what he was going to ask of her.

"A favor? What type of favor?"

She asked intrigued by his curious behavior.

"My good friend Pansy is having a rather big birthday bash tomorrow evening and I was hoping that you would like to accompany me as my official date.

I would like to introduce you to my friends as my girlfriend for the first time and I was hoping you'd be alright with that."

He said carefully as Hermione blinked twice before looking at him with a concerned expression.

"Pansy Parkinson? Isn't she one of the Slytherin's that we went to school with that absolutely hated me?

I'm not sure if me coming with you to announce our new courtship is such a great idea, Draco."

Draco held up his hand and shook his head with a small smile.

"No, no Hermione you misunderstand me I think.

Pansy and my friends used to be very different as was I back when we were in school but I can assure you wholeheartedly that we're a much different bunch now and that everyone's very excited to see you again.

I might have told them already of our relationship.

I just wanted to officially clear it with you about telling everyone else who would be there."

Hermione rolled her eyes before nodding and shrugging.

If he said they had changed, she would believe him.

After all, they were all different after graduating she supposed.

If Draco's new found love for her was anything to go by she was sure that the other Slytherin's would most likely have a change of heart also.

"Alright, I'll go. Just please promise me if there's any signs of trouble while we're there that we'll leave immediately."

She said as she gave him a somewhat stern look.

Draco nodded in understanding and squeezed both her hands in his own lovingly.

"I would never let anything happen to you, Hermione. You know that don't you?"

His words made her pause midair as she was raising her glass once again to her lips.

Did she know that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her?

Could she trust him like that after so many years of torment by him and his friends?

It was then that she nodded and took another sip of her orange juice before giving him a reassuring smile.

Of course she did.

She could tell that he had grown up in leaps and bounds and she was hoping that the others that they had known during their eventful childhood together would also be the same way.

"Great! That's brilliant. I'm so pleased to hear you say that."

Draco stuttered out as he smiled happily at her.

His grey eyes were practically misting over at the thought of reintroducing Hermione to his friends as not just another classmate but his girlfriend.

Who ever thought that this would be the case?

Draco's heart felt like it couldn't swell any wider in happiness and hope and as their food arrived and they began a bit of small talk over this and that, he couldn't help but wonder what other good things were in store for him and his little sweet witch that had stolen his heart and soul forever.


	13. Chapter 13

Sweets, Treats And Candy Coated Chaos Chapter 13

A/N: Hello lovelies! Happy Valentine's Day! I couldn't resist putting out another new chapter for you on such a fun day! I'm sending lots of sparkly hearts and glitter to all of you and I can't wait to hear what your thoughts are on this chapter. Love you all-MoonlitShadow

 **6:00 p.m. Malfoy Manor**

The hours and minutes had quickly flown by and before Hermione knew it, she was standing in Draco's private wing of the Malfoy Manor preparing to get ready for Pansy's Birthday Bash.

She raised her hand to her lips and started picking nervously at her fingernails as she stood in just a blush colored lacey bra and panties set.

Draco had told her that he had gotten a dress custom made for her to wear to the party and she was nervous and eagerly awaiting his arrival.

Narcissa had been by several different times with different little cookies and treats along with her favorite type of tea and had given Hermione lots of advice on how to handle her first pureblood party She had been pleasantly surprised and thrilled at how kind Draco's mother had been to her and she found herself growing fond of the older woman.

Draco had insisted that she stay the night last night over at the manor and get to know both him and his mother much better than she had in the past.

Hermione had been extremely nervous to go back to the scene of such horrid atrocities from the war, but Draco had calmly assured her that the manor had been completely redone and there was no trace of dark magic at all within it's now bright and sunny walls.

Hermione was even more reassured when Narcissa came to greet them as soon as they arrived.

Draco's mother had begged for her forgiveness and asked that possibly they could start a new chapter in their lives where the evils of the past could stay just that.

In the past.

Hermione was hesitant to agree to such a deal but she had seen and faced evil many many times in her life dealing with the war and when she looked into both Narcissa and Draco's eyes she saw a raw honesty and sincerity that really touched and spoke to her as a witch.

They were telling the truth and she respected their honesty with her.

Hermione had told Narcissa that it would take time for her to become fully comfortable at the manor after all that had happened and that she may never be fully comfortable at all but that she would definitely give her and Draco a chance to show her all the good things that had come from the changes after the war.

Hermione had decided that she would be cautious around Draco's mother for a while but found it hard to be when the older witch just seemed so ecstatic to finally have another witch's company within the manor's walls.

Hermione twirled a long strand of her caramel colored locks around her finger that had slipped out of the extravagant up do that Narcissa had done for the young witch.

The Lady Malfoy also allowed Hermione into her personal dressing chambers where she was allowed to pick any type of accessories she wanted to go with her outfit that Draco was bringing to her.

Not knowing what color her dress was going to be, she decided on a pair of diamond teardrop earrings with a matching statement necklace.

She decided that simple was best for the evening seeing as how the rest of her outfit was going to be so chic.

Suddenly the door to Draco's bedroom flew open and Draco rushed into the room carrying a long garment bag that she could only guess had her custom dress in it.

"So sorry that I was late, darling. There were just a few last minute adjustments that needed to be done to the hem."

He apologized as he laid the bag onto his large king bed and pulled her close to press his lips gently onto hers.

Hermione smiled against his lips as they moved in sync together.

How did she ever manage to fall in love with and catch one of the most romantic wizards in existence?

Draco lifted her gently off the ground making her let out a girly giggle as he spun her around.

"You're going to look so marvelous in your dress tonight, sweetheart. I can't wait to show you off to all my friends. They're going to be so jealous that I finally captured the heart of the most gorgeous witch in all of Hogwarts."

Draco cooed to her as his eyes met her own with a look of pure adoration and love. "

Oh Draco…You always were quite the charmer…"

Hermione said as she blushed lightly at his affectionate words.

Draco kissed both of her blushed cheeks and then nuzzled his nose against her own.

"And you hit it off rather well with my mother. There hasn't been a witch in ages that's been able to do that. It really does show that you're the perfect match for me."

He sighed happily as Hermione beamed up at him.

Glancing over at the clock behind them on the wall, Draco gasped and quickly set her down onto her feet before pointing at the large bag that lay across the bed.

"It's nearly time for us to leave love. I'll leave you be so you can dress properly. Please let me know when you're all put together. I want to have the first look at my lovely witch."

He said right before he took her hand in his own and brought it to his lips.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his chivalry and watched with stars in her eyes as he swaggered out of the room.

Hermione let out another girly squeal and quickly launched herself at the bag and unzipped it fully so it revealed the beautiful dress underneath.

Hermione gasped and her eyes went wide as saucers when she saw that Draco had picked out a formal gown with a mermaid silhouette that had a drop waist and a corset bodice that was covered in hundreds of thousands of tiny sparkling crystals that were colored in different shades of purple ombre leading all the way down to the full slit skirt that was ruffled and dark purple.

It was perfect! Absolutely perfect!

Hermione felt tears form in her eyes as she wondered how he had managed to find out that purple was her favorite color.

Shaking herself free of silly emotions, she hurried into the dressing room and quickly put on the beautiful gown before spinning around to face the long mirror.

"Oh Merlin….It's beautiful…"

She sniffled as her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her shoulders and a familiar pair of lips touched down on the crook of her neck making her lean back in her lover's embrace.

"You're bloody beautiful, Hermione. And I intend to let every witch and wizard in this world know that you're mine tonight."

Draco said quietly making her heart soar in her chest.

They stood there silently gazing at one another in the mirror.

Draco in his pristine dress robes and Hermione in her elegant gown.

They were a picture perfect pair and Hermione knew that once Narcissa spotted them they'd never hear the end of it.

"Well love, as much as I'd love to spend the entire evening here admiring your stunning beauty, I do believe we have a birthday party to attend in the next hour."

Draco drawled as his lips upturned into a satisfied smirk.

Hermione spun around and took his hands in her own before leaning up on her tip toes to kiss him one last time before they gathered up their things to depart to the Parkinson's manor.

"Thank you, Draco. For being everything I've ever wanted and more. I truly am a lucky witch."

She said happily as Draco smiled down at her.

Instead of responding, he conjured a pair of matching heels to go with her dress and handed them to her before grabbing her purple sparkly clutch off of the bathroom counter and heading out into the main room.

"I'll be at the floo whenever you're ready, love. I do believe we'll be on time for once. Us Malfoy's are almost never on time. What with mother's primping and such."

He chuckled as Hermione quickly slipped the heels on and then checked her hair and makeup one more time before rushing out to join him.

Draco held out his arm to her which she gladly took and together they stepped into the grand fireplace headed to their very first coming out as a couple.

Good things were coming for the two lovers and their luck would only continue to get better over time.


End file.
